Police Officer Hurt in Jerusalem Arab Rioting, 2 Bombs Found

Police were busy in Jerusalem and along the city's outskirts on Monday. One officer hurt in Silwan riots, two bombs found at city's edge.

Contact Editor

Chana Ya'ar, 28/01/13 14:53

Shiloach (Silwan), Jerusalem

Israel news photo: Yoni Kempinski

A police officer was wounded Sunday afternoon in riots that broke out during the demolition of two illegal structures in Jerusalem's Silwan (Shiloach) neighborhood, nestled in the valley just south of the Old City.

Dozens of Arab residents of the neighborhood, further goaded by leftist activists, gathered around Israel Police and Border Guard officers as they carried out their tasks, hurling rocks at them and physically attacking them.

Police responded using standard riot control measures. Nevertheless, one of the officers was wounded in an eye, and was taken to Hadassah Mount Scopus Medical Center with a "light" injury. His attacker was arrested.

In total, five Arab and leftist attackers were arrested in connection with the violence.

Earlier in the day, two bombs were discovered on the outskirts of the city. Both were neutralized by security personnel.

The first, a pipe bomb, was discovered by a member of the Samaria-Judea (Shomron-Yehuda) bomb squad, in the Arab village of Al-Aida.

The village is located very close to the Tomb of Rachel, the Biblical matriarch “buried by the side of the road,” married to the patriarch Jacob.

The explosive, which apparently been thrown by a terrorist on Sunday night, was still primed and had not exploded. The bomb squad neutralized it.

The second object, suspected by security personnel of being an explosive device, was discovered by a Border Guard patrol in the area of the Zeitim Crossing.

Confirmed as a bomb, the explosive was detonated and destroyed by a professional sapper from the bomb squad.